'INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD COME TOGETHER AND JOIN HANDS AGAINST COUNTRIES HARBORING TERROR', SAYS LOK SABHA SPEAKER

Geneva: Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 135th IPU Assembly in Geneva, called upon the international community to come together and join hands against countries harboring terror with a coherent policy and an effective strategy against terrorism.

Emphasizing that in the age of globalization the success or failure of one country is having a cascading effect on other countries, Smt. Mahajan said that all nations should endeavor to promote and protect human rights and prevent their violations. She also stressed that human right should not become an excuse for outside interference in internal affairs of the sovereign States.

Earlier, Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD), led by Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, in exercise of its right of reply in response to the statement made by Pakistan, criticised the misuse of the august body of IPU by Pakistan to make tendentious references about internal matters pertaining to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was made clear to Pakistan that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so for eternity. It was emphasized that the fundamental reason for the situation in Kashmir is the cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

Smt. Mahajan-led IPD further emphasized that terrorism remains the grossest violation of human rights and Pakistan has the distinction of being the epicenter of global terrorism. In fact, it is the mothership of global terror. Internationally proscribed terrorists and terror groups are freely roaming in Pakistan with impunity while the deep State in Pakistan is busy in diverting billions of dollars received as international aid for spreading terrorism globally. It was also noted that the human rights violations in entire Pakistan cry for the world’s attention. The people of Pakistan, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship due to Pakistan’s authoritarian and discriminatory policies in complete disregard of human rights.

Accordingly, Pakistan was advised to focus its energies on setting its own house in order and acting against the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on its neighbors instead of ritually raking up alleged human rights violations elsewhere. It was also suggested to Pakistan to first fulfill its primary obligation under the resolutions to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The IPD further called upon Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any matter.